MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Another Ninth Inning Rally Lifts Loons

July 18, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


APPLETON, WI - Another night, another late-inning rally and win for the Great Lakes Loons.

Saturday night, in front of over 5,000 fans at Fox Cities Stadium, the Loons rallied from a 5-4 deficit with two runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6-5 in the first matchup of the season between the two.

Trailing by one in the ninth against Timber Rattlers closer Jon Pokorney, Brian Cavazos-Galvez led off the ninth with a single. Rafael Ynoa sacrificed him to second. Then with the count 3-0 on Jaime Ortiz, Cavazos-Galvez stole third base. Ortiz proceeded to single to right field, scoring Cavazos-Galvez. Pinch runner Stetson Banks, representing the go-ahead run, took second on a wild pitch. Then pinch hitter J.T. Wise doubled to center field to bring home Banks for the Loons' sixth run.

Luis Vasquez entered the ninth and struck out Michael Marseco and Kyle Dhanani but threw a lot of pitches in doing so. He then walked D'Vontrey Richardson on a 3-2 pitch and surrendered a single to right field by Scooter Gennett before inducing a ground ball to shortstop by Kentrail Davis to end the game and record his 15th save.

The Loons had to rally despite leading 4-1 after the top of the third.

Ortiz drove in the Loons first run on a triple to left field in the second. Wisconsin responded in the bottom half with an RBI single by Dhanani.

But in the third, the Loons offense exploded for three solo home runs, beginning with a leadoff shot by Gorman Erickson, who has hit both of his home runs this season on this current road trip. Then with two outs Angelo Songco and Blake Smith went back-to-back with solo homers, both to straight-away center field.

Wisconsin responded to take the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Consecutive doubles by Gennett and Davis brought home one run. Then Chris Dennis plated three on a home run of his own.

Allen Webster started for the Loons but only threw one inning in a scheduled shortened start. Elisaul Pimentel threw five innings and allowed all five Wisconsin runs. Steve Smith (3-2) entered for scoreless seventh and eighth innings to notch his third win.

All three homers by the Loons came against Wisconsin starter Jake Odorizzi, who had allowed just one home run all season entering the game. Closer Pokoney (4-4) blew his first save on the year en route to his fourth loss.

The game was delayed several minutes after a woman was struck in the head by a line drive in the bottom of the third inning. A spokeswoman at Theda Clark Medical Center confirmed that the patient was treated there and was released with only "minor facial cuts."

Cavazos-Galvez's ninth inning single extended his hitting streak to 16 games to tie Dee Gordon for the second longest streak in Loons history.

The Loons are 61-30 overall, the top record in full-season professional baseball and have won 17 of their first 21 second half games.

The Loons continue their nine-game road trip Sunday afternoon with the second game of a three-game series in Appleton, WI against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Right-hander Josh Wall (6-4, 3.56 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Loons. Kyle Heckathorn (6-5, 2.65), a right-hander, is slated to start for Wisconsin. Game time is 2:05pm ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN 100.9-FM and online at Loons.com.

The Great Lakes Loons are a fourth-year Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and members of the Midwest League. For more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com or call 989-837-BALL.

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Midwest League Stories from July 18, 2010


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